Pool-ball frame.



A. R. DICKINSON.

POOL BALL FRAME.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 25, 1914.

Patented Nov. 3, 1914.

HT'ToR/VEY.

THE MORRIS PETERS CD.. PHOTO-1.11140, WA HINGTON. D4 c.

, view of the frame.

f on line 2--2, Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a cross section mural) srnfrns 'PATENTOFFICE.

AUSTIN R. DIoKINsoN, or sYRACUsE, Naw vomi.y

Application filed April 25, 1914. Serial No. 834,420.

T0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, AUSTIN R. DIGKIN- son, of Syracuse, in the county ofOnondaga, in the State of NewYork, have invented new and usefulImprovements in to provide in combination with a movable cross rail orbar, a suitable platform having a felt or other similar covering adaptedto receive the balls in the initial operation of setting them up, toavoid the necessity of placing them directly upon the table, rollingthem around to get them in proper position and the damage resulting fromthe usual dropping of the ,balls vwithin the frame.

A further object is to form this platform in connection with suitableparallel extending side bars, forming extensions of the side rails ofthe pyramidal front portion of the frame, and spaced apart throughouttheir length a distance substantially equal tothe width of the base ofthe pyramidal portion of the frame, and of sufficient length so thatwhen the bar connecting the rear end of the side bars, is in contactwith the end wall of the table, the balls positioned within thepyramidal portion of the frame will be spaced the proper distance fromthe end wall of the table without the necessity of moving the frame andballs around upon the table with the resulting wear upon the cloth andwithout the necessity of guessing at the particular position of thespot, thereby insuring the player that the balls are in exactly the sameposition each time.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a top plan Fig. 2 is a cross section on line3 3, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a top plan view partially in section of a portionof a frame of slightly modified construction.

The invention comprises a frame formed of apair of side rails --1- and-2- constituting the sides of an equilateral triangle and of suitablelength to inclose the desired number of pool balls, and a pair of sidebars 3- and -lconnected respectively t0 the specification of LettersPatent. y

noon-BALL FRAME.

Patented Nov. a, 1914.

rear ends of the side rails 1-f and `-2- and extending rearwardly inplanes substan-` tially parallel with each other and having their rearends connected by a suitable cross bar -5-. The side bars -3- and lareof sufficient length so that when the cross bar 5frests against the endwall of a table, the ball located in the apex formed by the meeting ofthe rails -1- and 2- is positioned the exact proper distance from theend wall of the table so that when the t frame is properly adjustedlaterally `this ball rests exactly upon the spot, and this properlateral adjustment of the frame may be laccurately kpredetermined rbymarking thecentral portion of the cross bar -5- and bringing thismarkvinto exact registration with the center diamond found on all tables. Bythispconst-ruction it is not necessary to move the frame Varound uponthe table after the balls have been placed therein thereb -destro ino'the table covering 5 y t b o and furnishingan uneven and irregularsurface preventing Aaccurate movement of the balls, and the player isassured that theballs are in exactly the .same position each time.

A suitable platform -6 having a felt or other covering ,-7- is.positioned be-` tweeny `the side'v barsr and -1-.and may be securedthereto in any suitable manner and preferably lies in a plane somewhatabove the plane of the lower edge ofthe side l bars -3- and -4-, andpreferably tapers toward its front edge T-so that the balls will rollgradually from the platforminto the pyramidal front portion of theframe. In use the frame is placed upon the table in proper position andthe balls are laid upon the felt covered platform -6- and are thenforced forwardly by any suitable means into the pyramidal front portionof the frame formed by the side rails 1* and -2-, and lfor this purposea suitable movable cross wall or bar -8- is provided having tenons -9-and .-10- at its respective ends slidably mounted in grooves or mortiseslll and -12- formed in the rails -3*-' and -4- respectively, and thesegrooves l1 and -12- are of sufricient length so that the'crossiwall -8-may lie to the rear of the platform 6 and may be pushed forwardly toform the base of the pyramidal portion of the frame and with the siderails 1 and -2- form an equilateral triangle for properly racking theballs in frozen position and this wall 8* is provided with a suitableobliquely projecting handle -13- for moving the wall back and forth.

The operation of the device is as follows: The frame is properlypositioned upon the table, the cross wall -8 is drawn toward the rear ofthe platform tithe pool balls are placed upon this platform, the crosswall is pushed forwardly to force the balls into the pyramidal frontportion of the frame, the cross wall is then slightly withdrawn from theballs and the frame may then be raised without interfering with therelative contact of the balls with each other.

In Fig. 4, a slightly varied form of the invention is shown in that theside rails -l and 2 are secured to the side bars -3- and -lrespectivelyby means of suitable hinges hland -15-, respectively, so that the siderails may be spread and withdrawn from contact with the balls so thatthe frame may be removed without liability of interfering with therelative contact of the balls with each other, and for normally holdingthe side rails in proper position for racking the balls, ,one4 of therails, as -1-, is provided with a projecting stud 16H and the otherrail, as -2*, with a spring megnber 17- adapted to engage the stud andfrictionally hold the rails y in proper position for racking the balls,and they may then be spread apart and the frame withdrawn without in anymanner interfering with the relative positions of the balls.

It will be readily apparent that although I have shown and described aparticular form of the invention, that many changes may be made in thedetails of construction, form and arrangement of the parts withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appendedclaims.

What I claim is:

1. A device for setting up pool balls comprising a frame having aplatform for temporarily supporting the balls, and guide railsconverging forwardly from opposite sides of the front end of theplatform for stacking the balls when rolled from the platform.

2. A device for setting up pool balls comprising a frame having aplatform for temporarily supporting the balls, guide rails convergingforwardly from opposite sides of the front end of the platform forstacking the balls when rolled from the platform, and means movablealong the frame for iinpelling the balls from the platform betweenthe'converging guide rails.

8. A device for setting up pool balls comprising a frame having aplatform having a forwardly declining upper face and guide railsconverging forwardly from opposite sides of the front end of theplatform.

t. A device for setting up pool balls comprising a frame having atriangular opening in its front end and a platform at the rear of theopening.

5. A device for setting up pool balls comprising a frame having atriangular opening in its front end, a platform at the rear of theopening, and means guided on the frame for impelling the balls from theplatform into the opening.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 24th day of April,1914.

AUSTIN R. DICKINSGN.

lWitnesses H. E. CHASE,

Eva E. GREENLEAF.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

Washington. D. C.

